Ice cream dipper



Feb. 13, 1934- o. E. HARRIS ICE CREAM DIPPER Original Filed March 6,1930 QI'aZ? I li'yj jal Reissued Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

Original No. 1,831,386, dated November 10, 1931, Serial No. 433,642,March 6, 1930. Application for reissue September 28, 1933. Serial No.

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to an ice cream dipper or transferer and has forits object to provide a more profitable and convenient way of dispensingor transferring ice cream in bulk form from a storage container to adish, ice cream sandwich, flat cone and the like, and at the same timemake a profitable saving by eliminating heavy shrinkage due to the useof the present type of dipper. This shrinkage is caused by the dippernow commonly used which must be plunged from one to two inches below thesurface of the ice cream in order that the ice cream will pack thereinwith sufiicie-nt force to break away from the body thereof and beremoved from the dipper. This operation with the dipper to remove aportion of ice cream from the container materially displaces the portionof ice cream in the dipper by packing causing the dispenser to give acustomer considerably more ice cream than he pays for. Further shrinkageis also caused, which is a considerable loss to the dispenser, due tothe packing of the ice cream by the thrusting and turning of the dippertherein. By the use of my ice cream dipper excessive loss from shrinkageis eliminated and the manual effort on the part of the dispenser is alsomaterially less. 3

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices, hereinafter described and definedin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a View of the improved dipper partly in elevation and partlyin central longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view with some parts sectioned on theline 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the dipper with the greater portion of thesleeve, stem and ejector rod broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in plan and partly in section taken on the line4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the operating connections betweenthe jaws and sleeve.

The dipper 7, as shown, is oblong in cross section and the two narrowsides thereof are designated by the numeral 8. This dipper 7 isrelatively deep, has a closed upper end and an open lower end or bottom.In place of making the dipper 'l' oblong in shape, as shown, it may becylindrical,

square or of any other suitable and convenient shape.

The lower edge portion of the dipper '7, on the inside thereof, isbeveled to an endless sharp cutting edge 9. Rigidly secured to the topofthe dipper 7 at the center thereof is an upstanding tubular stem. 10 tothe upper end of which a horizontal handle 11 is applied. This handle 11at one end is provided with a depending hub 12 which is attached byscrew threads to the upper end of the stem 10. Said handle 11 islaterally offset from its hub 12, see Fig. 2, and extends substantiallytangentially therefrom.

A pair of blade-like clamping jaws 13 with the dipper '7 is normallyheld flat against the inner faces of the dipper sides 8 and are hingedat their upper ends to the top of the dipper 7 as indicated at 14, forswinging movement toward each other into downwardly converging relation,as indicated by broken lines in Fig. l. The lower edges of the jaws 13are inwardly beveled to sharp cutting edges 15 which form continuationsof the beveled cutting edges 9 so that the dipper '7 and jaws 13 willreadily enter the bulk ice cream. These beveled cutting edges 15 performanother important function in that they produce a cam action on the icecream that holds the jaws 13 open and pressed against the dipper sides8.

In each dipper side 8 is a large central opening 16 of such size as toleave a relatively narrow endless frame against which the respective jaw13 closes.

To swing the jaws 13 into converging relation in respect to each otherafter the dipper has been pressed into bulk ice cream by the handle 11,there L is integrally formed with the hinged ends of the jaws 13 a pairof inwardly projecting and upwardly curved relatively wide flat levers17. The inner ends of the levers 17 extend into a pair of diametricallyopposite transverse notches 18 formed in a collar 19 on the lower end ofa long sleeve 20 slidably mounted on the stem 10. A coiled spring 21encircling the stem 10 is compressed between a spring seat 22, formed onthe upper end of the sleeve 20, and a spring cap 23 formed on the lowerend of the hub 12 and which hub forms a base of resistance for saidspring. The tension of the spring 23 is such as to hold the sleeve 20pressed down with the jaws 13 against the dipper sides 3.

The hub 12 affords a stop for the sleeve 20, limits the lifting movementthereof and hence the closing movements of the jaws 13. By screwing thehub 12 up or down on the stem 10 the width of the gap between the hub 12and sleeve 20 may be changed, at will, to vary the closing movements ofthe jaws 13. A radial handle 24 on the upper end of the sleeve 20 whichis below the handle 11 affords means by which the sleeve 20 may belifted against the tension of the spring 21 to actuate the levers 17 andclose the jaws 13. The sleeve 20 is held from turning on the stem 10 bya guide lug 25, on the top of the dipper 7 and side of the stem 10 whichextends into a relatively deep notch 26 in the collar 19.

To eject a piece of ice cream in the dipper 7, there is provided anejector comprising a follower plate 27 having a long operating rod 28.This follower plate 27 extends transversely inthe dipper 7 withsufficient clearance to work freely therein. The operating rod 28 at itslower end is rigidly secured to the follower plate 27 extends upwardthrough the stem 10 and has on its upper end a thumb-piece 29. Normallythe ejector hangs by gravity in its lowermost position with its followerplate 27 at the open bottom of the dipper 7 and thus held by theengagement of the; thumb-piece 29 with the upper end of the stem 10, asindicated by broken lines in Fig. I. In the top of the dipper '7 is apair of diametrically opposite air holes 30. The offset hand-piece 11permits free movement of the operating rod 28' thereby to and from theposition in which the thumbpiece 29 rests on the upper end of the stem10.

Normally the dipper 7 is as shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that theejector is in its dotted line positon. To fill the dipper 7 with icecream the operator holds the device by its hand-piece 11 and presses thedipper 7 into the ice cream until its top is substantially at the uppersurface of the ice cream. As the ice cream fills the dipper 7 theejector is raised thereby. When the dipper 7 is filled the operator usescertain fingers of the hand by which the hand-piece 11 is gripped tolift the hand-piece 24 against the tension of the spring 21 to close thejaws 13, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. This closing of thejaws l3 compresses the piece of ice cream in the dipper '7 to a flatwedge which causes the same to breakat its narrow end from the main bodyof ice cream at the bottom of the dipper 7 when said dipper is withdrawnfrom the body of ice cream. During the filling of the dipper 7 airtherein will escape through the holes 30 in advance of the followerplate 27 and piece of ice cream entering said dipper. The closed jaws 13will hold the piece of ice cream in the dipper 7 after the same has beenremoved from the body of ice cream in case there is a tendency to sliptherefrom.

To eject a piece of ice cream from the dipper 7, the operator releasesthe hand-piece 24 and with his thumb engages the thumb-piece 29 andpresses the same down, while still holding the device by the hand-piecell, which forces said piece from the dipper 7. In case the jaws 13'adhere to the piece of ice cream in the dipper 7 the downward movementof the follower plate 27 will engage said jaws and positively close thesame. The piece of ice cream in the dipper? may be discharged by theejector onto a dish, sandwich, or cone of the proper shape to receivethe same.

The apertures 16 permit the jaws l3 and surrounding portions of thedipper 7 to be easily cleansed and they also permit the escape of anyice cream that may be caught between the sides or the dipper 7 and jaws13. The hand-piece 11 and 24 and the thumb-piece 29 are convenientlyarranged so that they may be easily manipulated by one hand.

From the above description it is evident that the dipper T may be filledwithout packing or displacing the ice cream either in the main bodythereof or the piece in said dipper.

1. An open bottom dipper having a hand-piece equipped stem,. said dipperhaving on its lower edge a continuous cutting edge, a jaw movableentirely within the cutting edge and a connection for operating the lawto cause the ice cream in the dipper to break flush with the open bottomthereof.

2. An open bottom dipper having a hand-piece equipped stem, and adepending blade-like j-aw hinged at itsupper end for swinging movementin the dipper and normally closely engaging one side of the dipper, andoperating connections for closing the jaw, said dipper being providedwith an inwardly beveled cutting edge and said jaw being provided with acorrespondingly formed edge which when the jaw is open forms acontinuation thereof.

3'. A rigid open bottom dipper having a continuous cutting edge and ahand-piece equipped stem, a blade-like jaw depending within the rigiddipper from the upper end thereof and terminating short of the cuttingedge, said jaw being mounted for swinging movement inwardly of saidcutting edge, a handle-equipped operating sleeve for the jaw slidablymounted on the stem, an operating. connection between the jaw andsleeve, and a spring operative on the sleeveto yieldingly hold the jawopen.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, in which the operating connectionbetween the jaw and. sleeve is the lever on the jaw extending across thetop of the dipper and hingedly connected to the sleeve. I

5. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said side of the dipper hasan aperture that is closed by the jaw when open.

6. An open bottom dipper having a stem, a handle longitudinallyadjustable on the stem, a jaw in the dipper, a sleeve slidably mountedon the stem for operating the jaw, an operating connection between thejaw and sleeve, and a spring compressed between the sleeve and handle onthe stem and yieldingly holding the jaw open, said handle on the stemaffording a stop for the sleeve to limit the opening movement of thejaw.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 in which the handle on the stem isadjustable longitudinally thereof to limit the opening movement of theORA E. HARRIS;

